Amazon has an impressive price available for their Kindle 6-Inch E-reader!

The new Kindle reader from Amazon is here, and with it not only comes a reduction in size and weight but also in its price! Not to mention the fact it retains its large 6.0-Inch E-Ink display which reads just like paper, so no more headaches when reading on the go. This new launch also coincides with Amazon’s new Lending library which allows you to borrow 1 book a month with no due dates. Wi-Fi connectivity is still there, allowing you to download a book in under 60 seconds and Amazon’s massive library just keeps growing, now with well over 800,000 titles at under $9.99 each. The Kindle also has a massive 1 month of battery life, as well as plenty of storage to hold up to 1,400 books. Now that’s what we call a personal library.

The 6-inch Kindle e-reader now sells for as little as $79.  However, keep in mind you’ll be prompted with ads periodically.  Alternatively, you can pay $109 and go ad free.

Generally speaking a product’s life cycle includes one of additional features and more bang for buck.  The Nook Simple Touch is anything but that.

It costs $139 and includes a 6-inch e-ink touchscreen.  Unlike B&N’s other Nooks, there is no color screen or Android OS.  It’s a simple as pie e-reader with a hefty feature set for the money.

Expect a 2-month battery life from a single charge.  That will of course vary with use and this is B&N’s claim, not ours.  The 6-inch touchscreen has 50% more contrast than the first Nook and it weighs just 8oz, less than most standard paperback books.  You can store up to 1000 books (2GB, add a microSD card for more) at a time and even lets you borrow books from your local library.  There is currently only a WiFi version, and there is no word if a 3G version will come to life.

You can preorder the Nook Simple Touch today with an expected launch date of June 30th.

Read

Amazon is looking to increase sales of its Kindle 3G and has signed a deal with AT&T to distribute the device through the carrier’s stores starting March 6th for $189.

Nope, you won’t get a price break if you’re an AT&T customer and nor is their anything special about this deal.  However, it will give you, a potential customer, the opportunity to test out the device in hand before purchasing.  Prior to this the Kindle has been available from Amazon.com, Target, Best Buy and perhaps a few other retail locations we’re not aware of.

AMAZON KINDLE 3G COMING TO AT&T STORES NATIONWIDE

Kindle is Bestselling Product in the History of Amazon

DALLAS, Feb. 28, 2011 -AT&T today announced it will begin selling Amazon’s bestselling Kindle 3G in AT&T company-owned retail stores nationwide beginning March 6. Amazon’s Kindle 3G continues to be powered by the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T. AT&T will include Kindle 3G in its connected devices displays throughout AT&T company-owned stores, offering customers the opportunity to test drive the device onsite. The latest generation Kindle has received rave reviews from the New York Times, Wired, CNET, PC World, PC Magazine, and more, and has recently become the bestselling product in the history of Amazon.com.

“Amazon has without question pioneered the eReader space with Kindle, and it’s exciting to not only connect this device through our network, but now offer it in our stores to readers around the country ,” said Glenn Lurie, president, emerging devices, AT&T. “As the first dedicated eReader offered in our stores, we are confident the Kindle will be an attractive addition to our in store connected devices lineup.”

Kindle 3G, which connects over Wi-Fi as well as AT&T’s mobile broadband network, wirelessly downloads books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a 6-inch, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper.

“We’re excited to work with AT&T to offer Kindle 3G to AT&T customers across the country,” said Mike McKenna, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “Customers tell us they love Kindle 3G because of its light weight, battery life of up to one month, and advanced paper e-ink display that works in direct sunlight. Customers love being able to think of a book and be reading it in less than 60 seconds thanks to AT&T’s wireless network.”

The new Kindle 3G boasts the advanced paper-like Pearl E Ink display that is easy on the eyes and works outside in direct sunlight, massive storage of up to 3,500 books, up to one full month of battery life with the wireless off, no monthly wireless fees or annual contracts, and light weight which makes it easy to take with you everywhere you go — all for only $189.

Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The Kindle Store now has more than 810,000 books, including new releases and 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 670,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 79 New York Times Best Sellers. Kindle lets you “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – on Kindle as well as on free Kindle apps for, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and Android-based devices. Amazon’s Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes your full library of books, bookmarks, last page read, highlights and annotations across all of your Kindles and Kindle apps so you never lose your place or are without your reading.

Like the Kindle and Nook before it, Kobo has now released a desktop app for its e-book store. The Kobo App is a free download that allows you to purchase and view e-books from the Kobo store, which are then synced to your Kobo e-reader. Bookmarks are also brought over as well. Kobo currently offers over 2.2 million books for download. The download is available now for Windows & Macintosh.

Kobo™ Makes the Kobo Desktop Application Available for Download

Popular eReaders Now Easily Connect to Kobo Service

TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kobo, a global eReading service, today announced the Kobo Desktop Application, a free, downloadable application now available from www.kobobooks.com that enables users to read, build a digital library, and shop for eBooks directly from their computer or laptop. The new application also allows Kobo customers with 3rd party eReaders, such as the Sony Reader, to easily connect to the Kobo service to download or purchase content.

The new Kobo Desktop Application offers a personalized, secure and central destination where users can manage their entire Kobo reading experience. Through the Desktop Application customers can instantly access their library and download their purchases directly to their computer and read offline without an Internet connection. Additionally, the Kobo Desktop Application enables users to shop for eBooks through the integrated Kobo eBook Store and download content to their desktop to easily build and manage their library.

Kobo currently offers dedicated applications for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Android Tablets, as well as the Kobo eReader. Now with the Kobo Desktop Application users can sync their entire library between their mobile devices and the desktop. Customers with popular eReaders can now manage their digital library in one place, connect to the Kobo store to buy or download free content from over 2.2 million titles, and benefit from Kobo’s range of free applications for mobile devices. The free application also comes preloaded on every Kobo eReader making it easy for users to organize their library right out of the box.

Consistent with the overall Kobo reading experience, the Kobo Desktop Application allows users to customize font, style and size to suit their own reading preferences, and the company’s signature bookmarking feature makes it possible to pick up reading where you left off. Plus, bookmarks follow a user from the Kobo Desktop Application to their smartphone, tablet, or eReader, allowing for continuous reading on any device.

“Kobo has long supported reading across platforms, and now we are the first to provide an experience that supports a wide range of eReaders and mobile devices,” said Michael Serbinis, CEO of Kobo. “As an avid reader and book lover, I understand the importance of knowing your books are safe, secure and always at your fingertips. The Kobo Desktop Application is the first phase of a new Kobo initiative to give readers more control over their eBooks, and new tools to display and share their growing library.”

The Kobo Desktop Application supports both Windows and Macintosh operating systems and is currently available for free download from http://www.kobobooks.com/desktop. The application also comes preloaded on every Kobo eReader. The Kobo eReader is available for purchase at Borders in the US, Indigo Books & Music and Walmart in Canada, and Whitcoull’s, A&R, and Borders in Australia / New Zealand.

About Kobo, Inc.

Kobo is a global eReading service backed by majority shareholder Indigo Books & Music, Borders Group, REDgroup Retail, and Cheung Kong Holdings. Kobo believes consumers should be able to read any book on any device. With a catalog of over two million eBooks, and an open platform, Kobo enables retailers, device manufacturers and mobile operators to bring the joy of eReading to customers everywhere. For more information, visitwww.kobobooks.com.

Sharper Image, like so many others, has now dipped their toes in the e-reader market with the Literati. It’s a color e-reader sporting a 7-inch 800 x 480 resolution display, comes in white or black with a free case (beat that, Amazon!). It also arrives with 150 preloaded public domain books, and you can buy new bestsellers from Kobo via the built-in WiFi. It doesn’t look there’s anything like a web browser, though — this thing is pretty barebones, and there’s no word on PDF support. It can be had for $159 this October.

The Literati by The Sharper Image® Opens New Chapter on eReaders: Color, Affordability, Simplicity & Style

Ships October 2010 to 7,000 Retail Stores Creating the Broadest Retail Footprint of Any eReader

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA and NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – August 25, 2010) – Opening a new front in the eReader wars, the Literati™ by The Sharper Image® strikes a blow against the technology elite in favor of booklovers. The new color electronic reader bypasses high prices and feature bloat, offering instead an affordable, stylish and simple device for those who just want to read.

After an extensive two-year design and development process, the Literati (www.LiteratiReader.com) will ship nationwide in early October to more than 7,000 retail stores — including Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s and more — creating the broadest retail footprint of any eReader currently available. Holiday shoppers are expected to benefit from the current eReader price competition and find the Literati priced for $159 or less through rebates, special offers and promos.

“The majority of eReaders available today are either too expensive with too many features, or the manufacturer has slashed key functionality and overall device quality to lower the price,” said Kirk McLean, co-founder of MerchSource, the company that designed and distributes the Literati under trademark license from The Sharper Image. “We designed the Literati from the inside out — starting with the bookstore — to give booklovers exactly what they wanted: a simple, dedicated device that lets them get right to the book.”

“The Literati’s greatest innovation is its out-of-the-box simplicity,” added McLean. “We also involved our retailers early on in the design process. Their feedback informed not only the Literati’s design aesthetic, but also the consumers experience from the minute they turn it on.”

Development of the Literati began with the selection of the global eBook service, Kobo, which is backed by US-based Borders and Canadian-based Indigo Books & Music. Kobo’s firmware was built right into the Literati, ensuring that readers would have instant access to a bookstore with nearly two million titles, including New York Times bestsellers, new releases, cookbooks, children’s books, magazines, newspapers, and more.

Among the key features of the Literati are:

* A 7-inch color screen (creating one of the few dedicated color eReaders);
* Intelligent Wi-Fi connectivity;
* An overall beautiful design aesthetic;
* Portability and durability; and
* Inclusion of Kobo’s free reading apps for smartphones, tablets, computers and laptops mean that Literati readers can seamlessly switch from device to device and never lose their place thanks to a persistent bookmark.

The Literati will come in two color models: white and black / brushed metallic.

Each Literati includes a quality case, comes preloaded with 25 treasured classics, and includes a special coupon code for automatically loading another 125 pre-selected free titles directly into the Literati user’s account. Readers also can customize their bookshelves, bookmarks and reading experience, and can browse, purchase and download new books with just a few clicks.

“Consumers have traditionally looked to The Sharper Image every holiday season for great gift ideas that will exceed the recipient’s expectations,” said Federico de Bellegarde, SVP for The Sharper Image Licensing. “That is why we are thrilled to add the Literati, one of the most stylish and affordable new eReaders, to our holiday product offerings this year and we fully expect it to be a great success.”

“Kobo’s eReading service is designed to give eReader manufacturers and consumers access to Kobo’s global eBook service on a variety of devices,” said Todd Humphrey, Vice President of Business Development for Kobo. “The Literati is a great example of a broadly distributed new device using Kobo software to provide a world-class eBook store.”

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The Literati will be available for purchase both in-store and online beginning in October at Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s and others (full list of retail stores will be available at www.LiteratiReader.com). In addition, the Literati will be available for purchase online at SharperImage.com and Overstock.com.

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About MerchSource
Founded in 2000, MerchSource, LLC markets and distributes consumer products and supplies to the retail sector. The company supplies multiple product categories such as electronic goods, toys, household accessories and pet products.

About The Sharper Image
The Sharper Image® offers a broad range of exciting, innovative and technology rich products of superior quality and design. The Sharper Image is owned by a joint venture between Bluestar Alliance, Hilco Consumer Capital and Gordon Brothers. For more information, please visit www.sharperimageusa.com.

About “Powered by Kobo”
“Powered by Kobo” is an eBook partner program from Kobo, a global eBook service backed by Indigo Books & Music, Borders Group, REDgroup Retail, and Cheung Kong Holdings. It provides a flexible solution for hardware manufacturers and retailers worldwide to launch an eReader or eBook store. “Powered by Kobo” partners have access to Kobo’s catalogue of more than two million titles and applications for smartphones, netbooks, laptops, tablets and dedicated eReaders. Kobo’s vision is to deliver any book on any device and is a strong voice in the eBook industry supporting open standards for eBooks and eReaders. For more information, visit www.kobobooks.com.

The third generation Amazon Kindle isn’t even out yet, but it’s already become the biggest-selling Kindle ever, boasts Amazon in a new PR. It’s also been the website’s #1 best seller for two years running. To celebrate, the company is shipping orders a full two days early, so you can get in on that e-reader goodness sooner than expected. So, are you one of those pre-ordered?

New Generation Kindles Are the Fastest-Selling Kindles Ever and Already the Best-Selling Products on Amazon
New Kindles start shipping to customers today–two days ahead of previously announced release date

Amazon.com today announced that more new generation Kindles were ordered in the first four weeks of availability than in the same timeframe following any other Kindle launch, making the new Kindles the fastest-selling ever. In addition, in the four weeks since the introduction of the new Kindle and Kindle 3G, customers ordered more Kindles on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined than any other product, continuing Kindle’s over two-year run as the bestselling product across all the products sold on Amazon.com. The new Kindles started shipping to customers today–two days earlier than previously announced.

“Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon.com for two years running and our new generation Kindles are continuing that momentum,” said Steven Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle. “Readers are excited about all that the new Kindle has to offer–50 percent better contrast, 20 percent faster page turns, 15 percent lighter, up to one month of battery life–and a new price of only $139.”

The all-new Kindle has an electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, 15 percent lighter weight at just 8.5 ounces, 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life with wireless off, double the storage to 3,500 books, no glare even in bright sunlight and built-in Wi-Fi–all for only $139. The all-new Kindle 3G with all of these new features plus the convenience of free 3G wireless is only $189.

Early comments from product reviewers on the new Kindle include:

“This e-book reader’s lighter weight and complete overhaul make the third-generation Kindle the best reader from Amazon yet… After spending some quality time curled up with the new Kindle, I have to say it’s the first e-reader in months that’s left me wanting to read more. Its solid build quality, along with its improved design, integrated store, and cross-platform transportability (books are usable on any Kindle reader app, including iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, and PC) all add up to a winner that shoots to the head of the pack.” — PC World

“Despite some predictions that the iPad and other Web-oriented tablets would start the Kindle doom clock ticking, its continued popularity bodes well for the future of single-purpose long-form reading devices. The new third-generation Kindle only makes that future brighter. All its basic virtues–instant downloading from an abundantly stocked store, light weight, ability to read in sunlight–are still there, with significant improvements in text readability, physical design, and battery life.” — Wired

“…given its new low price along with its massive library of ebooks and dead-simple book buying, the Kindle keeps its crown as our Editors’ Choice. Simply put, it’s the best dedicated ebook reader you can buy.” — PC Magazine

“Amazon’s newest Kindle (simply called “Kindle,” though it’s sometimes referred to as the “Kindle 3″) is the best ebook-reading device on the market.” — Fast Company

Also in the four weeks since their introduction:

– Kindle and Kindle 3G are the most gifted and most wished for products on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk combined.

– Customers in 125 countries on six continents from Austria to Zimbabwe have already placed orders for the new generation Kindles. Some of the most remote shipments will be sent as far away as Mongolia and the Northern Mariana Islands.

– Customers are already ordering books to read on their new Kindles. The most popular are the books in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, “Star Island” by Carl Hiaasen and “The Rembrandt Affair” by Daniel Silva.

Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 670,000 books, including New Releases and 107 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 550,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 73 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices. More than 235,000 books have been added to the Kindle Store in just the last seven months, including New York Times Best Sellers “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and “The Passage.”

Kindle lets you Buy Once, Read Everywhere–on Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry and Android-based devices. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.

Customers can discover full details and order the new Kindle and Kindle 3G at www.amazon.com/kindle3G and www.amazon.com/kindleWi-Fi.

For high-resolution images of the new generation Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle/images.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!amzn/quotes/nls/amzn (AMZN 125.25, +0.72, +0.58%) , a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

SOURCE: Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble has updated their Nook apps for iPhone/iPod Touch, PC and iPad today, including a new “rating” feature that lets you give high or low marks to e-books for sale in the store. The app has been updated to best take advantage of the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, and critics of Apple’s limited e-book display options should be happy to hear that the Nook app now has a huge amount of customization, including themes, line spacing, font styles, preferred justification, day/night content options, previews, and more. You can grab the apps in the App Store, and the PC app at B&N’s site for free right now.

Barnes & Noble Enhances Free eReading Software Offering with NOOK™ for iPhone®, iPad™ and PC

Completely New iPhone Application Delivers The Most Easy-to-Use, Customizable iPhone and iPod touch® Reading Experience

NOOK for iPad Updated with First “Rate” Feature on eReading Software

Only eReading Software and Apps to Offer eBook Lending

New York, New York – August 17, 2010 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, today enhanced its offering of popular, free NOOK-branded eReading software with updated versions for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and PC (available at www.bn.com/NOOKapps).

Completely new, the next-generation NOOK for iPhone application delivers the most personalized and easy-to-use eReading experience for iPhone and iPod touch owners. NOOK for iPad adds customer-requested, in-app content rating and other improvements to the company’s popular iPad app, and NOOK for PC brings new branding to the company’s desktop software. “Read what you love, anywhere you like”™ with the entire family of free NOOK eReading software and apps, which enables mobile device and computer users to shop more than one million digital titles in the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, access eBooks from their personal Barnes & Noble digital library and use the company’s breakthrough LendMe™ technology to share eBooks with friends.

Taking a page from the company’s popular, highly customizable NOOK for iPad application, Barnes & Noble gives NOOK for iPhone users the ability to tailor the way they consume content, offering a simple, attractive reading experience from the handheld device. Users can create completely personalized or utilize professionally designed themes, and optimize content for day or night reading, with one-tap options and a preview before settings are changed. With unparalleled customization features, the NOOK for iPhone app offers customers the ability to choose from millions of colors for fonts, backgrounds or links, as well as the option to control screen brightness to make reading on the iPhone easy and comfortable. Barnes & Noble designed the NOOK for iPhone to optimize eBook cover art and text on the new iPhone 4′s Retina display, and it also works well on earlier iPhone and iPod touch models.

The new NOOK for iPhone also offers more choice than ever before in an iPhone eReading app: line spacing, font style and sizes, and justification can be adjusted according to user preference. Customers can also opt to use the publisher’s original setting to view the eBook exactly as the publisher and author intended. NOOK for iPhone offers portrait or landscape viewing; one-touch access to highlight, make notes or bookmark a page; and the ability to easily delete samples from within the application. Learn more or get the new application at www.bn.com/NOOKforiPhone and www.itunes.com/appstore.

“We are committed to offering an easy-to-use, comfortable, and fun NOOK eReading experience across multiple platforms. NOOK for iPhone users can shop Barnes & Noble’s vast catalog of eBooks, while enjoying new, customization features and sharing their favorite eBooks with friends for free,” said Douglas Gottlieb, Vice President, Digital Products for Barnes & Noble.com. “NOOK for iPhone puts thousands of eBooks in your pocket, and the reading experience is fantastic. It’s another way that Barnes & Noble’s NOOK offering makes it truly easy to read what you love, anywhere you like.”

Lend eBooks to Friends

Using Barnes & Noble’s innovative and exclusive LendMe technology, customers can share eligible eBooks, easily identified by the LendMe icon, with other NOOK software users. The lending feature, uniquely offered across the NOOK eReading platform, lets friends and family enjoy the eBook for up to 14 days. LendMe recipients have access to a wide variety of eBooks on both the NOOK eBook Reader and their NOOK software-enabled PC, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Android™ smartphone.

Like the iPad application, NOOK for iPhone users can initiate, accept and defer eBook lending right inside the app. The new app also seamlessly integrates LendMe into the device experience, so users can simply send the lend offer by tapping their iPhone or iPod touch contacts for the most streamlined sharing possible. And when NOOK software-enabled iPhone, iPod touch or iPad users receive a LendMe offer, it will appear within the application where they can see the eBook’s cover and the message from their friend.

Get In Sync

NOOK for iPhone users can easily read across multiple devices by syncing the last page read of the last eBook opened on their iPhone or iPod touch with other NOOK software-enabled devices including iPad, Android smartphone (OS 1.6 or higher) or Windows®-based PC desktop, laptop or netbook. NOOK for iPhone also quickly syncs users’ entire library, current reading position, notes, highlights and bookmarks with other NOOK software-enabled devices.

Additional features available in NOOK for iPhone include:

· Shop the expansive Barnes & Noble eBookstore: Search, explore and browse through more than one million eBooks at www.bn.com/ebooks directly by touching Shop from the Library. The vast majority of titles are available for $9.99 or less, there are free samples of all eBooks, and more than a half-million free classics. Learn more from thousands of editorial and customer reviews. Pick a current favorite – Barnes & Noble offers 196 of 205 current New York Times Best Sellers – a classic or anything in between and download it wirelessly in seconds.

· Access your personal Barnes & Noble digital library: All eBooks purchased through the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, including those purchased online, on NOOK eBook Readers and software-enabled devices, are at your fingertips in your Library. Customers with large digital libraries will appreciate the search option that helps them find the desired title quickly.

· Full-featured library: As found on NOOK for iPad, NOOK for iPhone features two library views: Library Grid view for displaying easy-to-read, beautiful covers, and Library List. The Library also provides rich product details for each eBook including the synopsis and easy access to more titles from that author. Users can sort by recently read, author or title, or get to their content faster with an in-book search to locate a particular word or phrase.

· Take notes: Bookmark pages, make highlights and write notes. Simply tap a word or drag your finger across a section to highlight it or make a note. In addition to appearing on your iPhone or iPod touch, your bookmarks, highlights and notes will also appear on an iPad and PC enabled with free NOOK software. Other devices will be added soon.

· Learn more: Touch and hold on a word on the screen and the in-app dictionary looks up the word’s meaning. Want to learn more? Simply tap one of the options to take you to the Google or Wikipedia page on that word or term using the Web browser. Barnes & Noble also makes it easy to get started with a quick start tutorial on first login.

· Follows the standard: Now, iPhone users will read eBooks formatted in ePub, quickly becoming the industry standard.

NOOK for iPad, PC

The NOOK family of devices and software continues to evolve with an update for the iPad app, available at www.bn.com/NOOKforiPad and www.itunes.com/appstore. Complete with a new name, NOOK for iPad continues to differentiate itself from other iPad applications with an industry-first “Rate” feature – a fun and helpful way for users to indicate and easily sort their favorite reads. iPad users can simply tap the stars beneath all of the eBooks in the Library to give each a rating of one to five. NOOK for iPad also includes additional performance enhancements from the previous version.

In addition, today’s announcement also marks the company’s re-introduction of its desktop client as NOOK for PC (available at www.bn.com/NOOKforPC). With the ability to shop the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, access to a customer’s personal Barnes & Noble digital library and share eBooks with friends, NOOK for PC offers customers the ability to enjoy eReading on their Windows-based desktop, laptop or netbook.

As previously noted, the company continues to leverage the strength of its NOOK brand across its entire eReading offerings, including NOOK for Mac®, and more in the coming months, and will continues to update its NOOK software offering with enhanced features in the coming months. For more information on free NOOK software and apps, please visit www.bn.com/NOOKapps.

With Barnes & Noble’s Lifetime Library™, Barnes & Noble customers will always be able to access their digital libraries on BN.com and a variety of devices including dedicated NOOK eBook Readers, previously announced eBook readers powered by the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, and NOOK software-enabled iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry® and Android smartphones, HP computers, PC and Mac.

About NOOK™ from Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble’s NOOK brand of eReading products makes it easy to read what you love, anywhere you like™ with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to Barnes & Noble’s expansive eBookstore of more than one million digital titles, and the ability to enjoy content across the widest variety of devices. NOOK eBook Readers are the most full-featured, dedicated eReading devices on the market, featuring a color touch screen for navigation along with a best-in-class E-Ink® display. NOOK 3G ($199) offers both free 3G wireless and Wi-Fi® connectivity and NOOK Wi-Fi ($149) features Wi-Fi connectivity. In Barnes & Noble stores, customers with NOOK devices can access free Wi-Fi connectivity, enjoy the beta Read In Store™ feature to browse many complete eBooks for free, and the More In Store™ program, which offers free, exclusive content and special promotions. Barnes & Noble is the only company to offer digital lending for a wide selection of eBooks through its LendMe™ technology, available exclusively through NOOK eReading products. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.nook.com, as well as Best Buy stores and www.bestbuy.com.

In addition to NOOK devices, Barnes & Noble makes it easy for customers to enjoy any book, anytime, anywhere with its free line of NOOK software, available at www.bn.com/NOOKapps. Customers can access and read eBooks from their personal BN digital library on devices including iPad™, iPhone®, iPod touch®, BlackBerry®, Android™ and HTC HD2™ smartphones, HP computers, PC, and Mac®. Barnes & Noble also offers NOOKstudy™ (www.nookstudy.com), an innovative study platform and software solution for higher education.

For more information on NOOK device and eReading software updates, new eBook releases, Free Friday eBooks and more, follow us on www.twitter.com/eBooksBN and www.facebook.com/NOOKBN.

Amazon unveiled a new version of the Kindle yesterday, which has a variety of new upgrades poised to make it king of the e-readers. The new device is 21 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter than the older 6-inch Kindle, has a 20 percent faster E-Ink refresh rate for quicker page-turning, and features improved contrast and the choice of two colors, graphite and white (like the recently upgraded Kindle DX). Users will know have the choice between a $139 WiFi only model, and a $189 3G+WiFi version that’s still on AT&T. Storage has been upped to 4GB, and the battery life improved to a month without WiF and 10 days with it on. Also updated are the keyboard and five-way controls, which have been slightly tweaked (either larger or smaller) to be more ergonomically useful. Finally, there’s a new Webkit-based web browser.

The Kindle is available for pre-order now for $139 for the WiFi version, and $189 for the 3G+WiFi.  It will be released August 27th.

ANNOUNCING A NEW GENERATION OF KINDLE: THE ALL-NEW KINDLE IS SMALLER, LIGHTER, AND FASTER, WITH 50 PERCENT BETTER CONTRAST

Kindle’s revolutionary wireless delivery and massive selection of content-now in a 21 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter design, with 50 percent better contrast, 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life, double the storage, and more-only $189, and still with free 3G wireless

Amazon also introduces new Kindle family member: Kindle Wi-Fi-only $139

SEATTLE-July 29, 2010-(NASDAQ: AMZN)-Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the #1 bestselling item on Amazon.com for two years running. It’s also the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.com. Today, Amazon.com is excited to introduce a new generation of Kindle. The all-new Kindle has a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 15 percent lighter weight at just 8.7 ounces. The new Kindle also offers 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life, double the storage to 3,500 books, built-in Wi-Fi, a graphite color option and more-all for only $189, and still with free 3G wireless-no monthly bills or annual contracts.

Also today, Amazon introduced a new addition to its family of portable reading devices-Kindle Wi-Fi. Readers who don’t need the convenience of free 3G wireless can now enjoy the new generation Kindle for the lower price of only $139. The all-new Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi are now available for pre-order at www.amazon.com/kindle3G and www.amazon.com/kindleWi-Fi, and will ship to customers in over 140 countries and 30 territories beginning August 27.

Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 630,000 books, including New Releases and 109 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 510,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 80 New York Times Best Sellers. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle. Kindle lets you buy your books once and read them everywhere-on Kindle, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, and Android-based devices. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.

More than 235,000 books have been added to the Kindle Store in just the last six months, including New York Times Best Sellers “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” and “The Passage.” The Kindle Store also recently added 20 contemporary classics from the Wylie Agency’s new “Odyssey Editions” imprint that are available for the first time as e-books and exclusively in the Kindle Store, including John Updike’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Rabbit series, Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita,” Norman Mailer’s “The Naked and the Dead,” Philip Roth’s “Portnoy’s Complaint” and Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man.”

“Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon for two years running. We lowered the price to $189 and sales growth tripled. Now, we are excited to introduce a new generation Kindle that is smaller, lighter, and faster, with 50 percent better contrast. Readers are going to do a double take when they see Kindle’s bright new screen and feel how remarkably light the smaller 8.7 ounce design feels in one hand,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder & CEO. “If you don’t need the convenience of 3G wireless, we have an incredible new price point-$139 for Kindle Wi-Fi. Kindle Wi-Fi has all the same features, same bookstore, same high-contrast electronic paper display, and it’s even a tiny bit lighter at 8.5 ounces. At this price point, many people are going to buy multiple units for the home and family.”

All New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen, Read in Bright Sunlight: The new Kindle uses Amazon’s all-new electronic ink display with 50 percent better contrast for the clearest text and sharpest images. No other e-reader has this screen or this level of contrast. Unlike LCD screens, Kindle’s paper-like display looks and reads like real paper, with no glare, even in bright sunlight.

New Proprietary Screen Technology-Faster Page Turns, New and Improved Fonts: Kindle’s all-new, high-contrast electronic ink display is further optimized with Amazon’s proprietary waveform and font technology to make pages turn faster and fonts sharper. Waveform is a series of electronic pulses that move black and white electronic ink particles to achieve a final gray level for an image or text. Amazon tuned the new Kindle’s waveform and controller mechanism to make page turning 20 percent faster. In addition, this waveform tuning combined with new hand-built, custom fonts and font-hinting make words and letters more crisp, clear, and natural-looking. Font hints are instructions, written as code, that control points on a font character’s line and improve legibility at small font sizes where few pixels are available. Hinting is a mix of aesthetic judgments and complicated technical strategies. Amazon designed its proprietary font-hinting to optimize specifically for the special characteristics of electronic ink.

New Sleek Design, Lighter Than a Paperback: The new Kindle has a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area. At only 8.7 ounces, the new Kindle is 15 percent lighter and still 1/3 of an inch thin, making it lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine. With Kindle you can read comfortably and naturally with just one hand for hours. The new Kindle Wi-Fi is even lighter at just 8.5 ounces.

Double the Storage, Holds 3,500 Books: The new Kindle has double the storage so you can carry up to 3,500 books.

Up To One Month of Battery Life: The new Kindle has up to one month of battery life with wireless off. Keep wireless on and your Kindle will have battery life of up to 10 days.

Free 3G Wireless: Kindle offers free 3G wireless, which means no annual contracts and no monthly fees. Global Wireless Coverage: Kindle is the only e-reader that lets you travel the globe and still get books in under 60 seconds with wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories.

New Built-In Wi-Fi: In addition to free 3G wireless, Kindle now has built-in Wi-Fi support. Kindle owners will now be able to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the road. Readers who don’t need the convenience of free 3G wireless can purchase the new Kindle Wi-Fi for only $139 and download content over Wi-Fi. Amazon is offering free Wi-Fi access at AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots across the U.S. for shopping and downloading Kindle content-no AT&T registration, sign-in, or password required.

Quieter Page Turn Buttons: Quieter page turns means you can read all night without disturbing your partner.

Share Meaningful Passages: Share meaningful passages with friends and family with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.

Simple to Use: Kindle is ready to use right out of the box – no setup, no software to install, no computer required.

Books in 60 Seconds: With fast, free wireless delivery, you can start reading books on Kindle in less than 60 seconds.

Massive Selection: The Kindle Store has over 630,000 books, including 109 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers, plus audiobooks, periodicals and blogs.

Free, Out-of-Copyright Books: Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books such as “Pride and Prejudice” are available to read on Kindle.

Low Book Prices: Over 510,000 of the 630,000 books in the Kindle Store are $9.99 or less, including 80 New York Times Best Sellers.

Free Book Samples: First chapters of Kindle books are available to download and read for free before you decide to buy.

Read Everywhere with Whispersync: Kindle books can be read on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and Android-based devices. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.

Worry-Free Archive: Books purchased from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.

Improved PDF Reader: The new Kindle uses an improved built-in PDF reader with new dictionary lookup, notes and highlights, and support for password protected PDFs.

New WebKit-based Browser (experimental): The new Kindle uses a new web browser based on the industry-leading open source Web browser engine, WebKit. The updated browser is faster, easier to navigate, and provides a new “article mode” feature that simplifies web pages to just the main text- based content for easier reading. Web browsing with Kindle over 3G or Wi-Fi is free.

New Voice Guide: With Text-to-Speech, Kindle can read out loud to you. New Text-to-Speech enabled menus allow customers to navigate Kindle without having to read menu options. In addition to listening to books aloud, users now have the option of listening to content listings on the home screen, item descriptions, and all menu options.

New Lighted Leather Cover: The all-new Kindle cover features an integrated, retractable reading light that lets you read comfortably anytime, anywhere. The light is a permanent part of the cover, so it’s always with you, and hides away into the cover when not in use. The high-quality LED light illuminates Kindle’s entire paper-like display, adding brightness without adding glare. Amazon’s patent-pending hinge system secures Kindle in place and conducts electricity from Kindle’s battery to the reading light, eliminating the need for batteries. The conductive hinges are gold-plated to ensure a reliable electrical connection. Gold is used because of its ability to make good electrical contact even with low force and for its corrosion resistance. The Kindle cover is sold separately.

Customers can discover full details and pre-order the new Kindle and Kindle Wi-Fi starting today at www.amazon.com/kindle3G and www.amazon.com/kindleWi-Fi. For new high-resolution images of the new generation Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle/images.

The Elonex 710EB e-reader isn’t exactly well known, but its interesting combination of specs could put it in a nice position of affordability. This is a seven-inch e-reader that doesn’t have an e-ink display, but promises a TFT color touchscreen, ARM processor, WiFi, an iPad-esque eight hour battery life, and a price that’s almost $300 cheaper than the iPad. There’s scant few details beyond those, and how you’ll be buying books for the device is still unknown. It’ll be available at the end of the month, so buyers can see then whether it’s worth it.

The Elonex 710EB is available July 31st 2010 for about $210.

Read

Just a few days after cutting the regular Kindle’s price, Amazon has unveiled an updated version of their Kindle DX with a lower price and an e-ink  screen boasting fifty percent better contrast. Sporting a graphite finish, this Kindle DX is pretty similar to its previous model, with a 9.7-inch screen and WiFi + 3G, but it now costs $379, $110 cheaper than before. Preorders are going on now, but the Graphite Kindle DX will start shipping July 7th.

Amazon Introduces New Kindle DX with 50 Percent Better Display Contrast and New Lower Price of $379

Amazon’s latest generation large screen portable reader features all new, high contrast e-ink screen for the clearest text and sharpest images

SEATTLE-July 1, 2010-Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today introduced the new latest generation Kindle DX and new lower price of $379, down from $489, and still with free 3G wireless-no monthly bills or annual contracts. Kindle DX is the 9.7-inch large screen member of Amazon’s family of revolutionary portable readers. The new Kindle DX features a new graphite enclosure and an all new, high contrast electronic ink display with 50 percent better contrast for the clearest text and sharpest images. The new Kindle DX is available for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindledx and it ships July 7.

“There’s no turning back once you read on our beautiful new Kindle DX screen,” said Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle. “With 50 percent better contrast and darker fonts, you’ll find it easier than ever to read wherever you happen to be, whether it’s outside in bright sunlight or under the low light of your living room. We’re excited to offer the new Kindle DX with free 3G wireless at the lower price of $379.”

The Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) now has more than 620,000 books, including New Releases and 108 of 111 New York Times bestsellers, starting at $9.99 or less. More than 200,000 books have been added to the U.S. Kindle Store in just the last six months, including the full selection of John Grisham titles. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle, including classics such as “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Treasure Island.”

All New, High Contrast E-ink Screen: The new, graphite Kindle DX uses Amazon’s all new electronic ink display with 50 percent improved contrast for the clearest text and the sharpest images.

Beautiful Large Display: Kindle DX’s 9.7-inch diagonal e-ink screen is ideal for a broad range of reading material, including graphic-rich books, PDFs, newspapers, magazines, and blogs.

Read in Sunlight with No Glare: Unlike backlit computer or LCD screens, Kindle DX’s screen looks and reads like real paper, with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in the living room.

Buy Books Once, Read Them Anywhere: Kindle books can be read on the devices people use every day, including Kindle, Kindle DX, PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android phone, and BlackBerry. Plus, Amazon’s Whispersync technology also automatically saves and synchronizes customer book libraries and last page read across all these devices.

Free 3G Wireless, No Monthly Bills or Annual Contracts: Shop the Kindle Store and download new content wirelessly in less than 60 seconds-all without a PC, Wi-Fi hot spot, or syncing. Amazon pays for the 3G wireless connectivity, so there are no monthly fees or annual contracts.

Books In Under 60 Seconds: Kindle books are delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds, no PC or setup required.

Global 3G Coverage: Kindle DX offers 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries.

Long Battery Life: Read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on or 2 weeks with wireless turned off.

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases from $9.99.

Incredibly Slim: At just over 1/3 of an inch, Kindle DX is as thin as most magazines.

Carry Your Library: Carry up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents.

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Social Networks: New Twitter and Facebook integration enables the millions of Kindle customers to post meaningful passages and share their love of reading instantly with family and friends, and in turn, help them discover new authors, new books, and new ideas.

Built-In PDF Reader: With Kindle DX’s large display and built-in PDF reader, read professional and personal documents with more complex layouts without scrolling, panning, or zooming, and without re-flowing. Zoom capability is now available in Kindle DX for easily viewing small print and detailed tables or graphics.

Auto-Rotating Screen: Read in portrait or landscape mode using Kindle DX’s auto-rotating screen. Simply turn Kindle DX and immediately see full-width landscape views of maps, graphs, tables and images, all displayed in higher contrast on Kindle DX’s new screen.

Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud.

Dell Has it for $249.99 – $60 instant savings + free shipping = $189.99 shipped!

Earlier this week we had both the Kindle and Nook lower their prices in what looks to be the beginning of some intense e-reader wars. How do we know? Well, Barnes and Noble’s Kobo, which retails for $149, now comes with a $20 gift card for use in Borders e-book store, as well as Double Borders Points for any purchase in their stores. Not a price cut, you may say — well, you need to buy e-books for the darn thing, don’t you?

They also launched a free Kobo app that lets you read your purchased e-books on an iPhone. All these e-readers use the same screen, just FYI. So its really the software and book selection (and the ever diminishing prices) that should be your decision maker.

In what appears to be a quick decision in response to the Nook price cut earlier today, Amazon has lowered the price of the Kindle seventy dollars, from $269 to $189. As you might be aware, that’s ten dollars less than the 3G Nook. That’s a drastic move, one that shows just how competitive Amazon is in the e-reader game. The Kindle has a lot to offer at that price point. And for consumers, everyone wins!

AMAZON KINDLE NOW ONLY $189
Still with free 3G wireless-no monthly fees or annual contracts

SEATTLE-June 21, 2010-Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced
that Amazon Kindle, the best e-reader on the market (see this recent
press release from the world’s leading consumer reporting
organization-http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/06/amazons-kindle-tops-cr-ebook-reader-ratings.html),
is now only $189, down from $259. Kindle is the 3G wireless portable
reader that allows you to think of a book and be reading in 60
seconds, from wherever you happen to be. Easy to read even in bright
sunlight, the 10.2 ounce Kindle is light enough for one-handed
reading. Even though it’s a 3G wireless device, Kindle has no monthly
fees or annual contracts. The Kindle Store includes over 600,000
books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want
to read, including 109 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers and New
Releases from $9.99. In addition, over 1.8 million free,
out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle.
Since its release, Kindle has been the #1 bestselling product across
the millions of items sold on Amazon. Kindle is in stock and
available for immediate shipment at the new lower price of $189.
Learn more at www.amazon.com/kindle.